December, 2016 – “Winter Retreat” BarkBox Box

The theme for the December BarkBox is “Winter Retreat”. BarkBox’s December box is themed to make your winter ski retreat a warm and toasty one.

The toys in the December BarkBox are:

Hugo’s Hot Cocoa – (retail value $14.00) I absolutely love this toy! I loved it so much that I actually purchased it back in late November when I saw it on the BarkShop site, lol. The cup comes with two squeaky marshmallows that are the perfect little size for Bruce Wayne. The cup itself doesn’t have a squeaker, but the cup is lined inside with that crinkle material that Bruce Wayne goes crazy for. Since I already have one of these for Bruce Wayne, be sure to keep an eye out for our next Closet Cleanout giveaway, it will be the first time I give away a BarkBox toy.

Stella the Snow Bunny – (retail value $10.00) Honestly, at first, I was a bit puzzled when I saw this toy. Since it is a bunny, I automatically associated the toy with Easter, however, after reading the BarkBox insert about the theme and seeing the skis on the bottom of the bunny, I get why it was included. The body of the bunny has a squeaker and it’s a deeper toned squeaker, which is nice. If your dog likes to squeak toys a lot, this one isn’t nearly as high pitched and annoying as most other squeakers tend to be. The toy is also super fuzzy and soft, which should make Bruce Wayne happy, as he loves to try and pull the hair out of his toys.

As you can see from Bruce Wayne’s “first impressions” video, he is having a blast trying to turn his bunny into a hairless bunny. 😉 Be sure to turn the volume up at the start of the video, you can hear the squeak of the toy that I’m talking about.

The treats in the December BarkBox are:

I and Love and You Nice Jerky Bites – (retail value $5.99 for 4 oz.) The flavor we received is chicken and duck. While these are bite sized treats, they are still too big for Bruce Wayne to eat at once, however, they should be soft enough to break into smaller pieces. I do like that they are corn, wheat and rice free, however, they do contain brown sugar and being that I’m so paranoid and picky, I will hold these for a Closet Cleanout. I know a lot of our friends love this brand and would love to try these. 🙂

Grandma Bowser’s Country Oven Bisquits – (retail value $4.95 for 4 oz.) At first glance, this bag of treats seems quite small, however, it does contain 4 ounces, so don’t let the size fool you. The flavor we received is pumpkin pie. These “bisquits” are a crunchy texture and would make a great size treat for larger dogs, but are too big for Bruce Wayne if left whole. While they sound yummy, they contain a lot of ingredients, some of which I cannot pronounce, so I will give these to Bruce Wayne’s crazy Uncle Patches. I’m sure he will eat them right up.

Butcher’s Block Bones Dynamo – (retail value $4.00) This is a beef bone chew that is sure to satisfying your dog’s chewing desire in a nutritious way. It is extremely hard and weighs about ½ a pound. I have no doubt that Bruce Wayne would absolutely love this, however, I have no doubt that this could also very easily break one of Bruce Wayne’s teeth. Also, being that he’s only a week or two removed from his tonsillectomy, I will pass this onto his crazy Uncle Patches. I know he will go crazy over it.

Estimated Value of BarkBox’s December box: $38.94

Overall Opinion: Overall, this BarkBox felt a little disjointed. I’m used to BarkBox themes flowing throughout the box, but this one seemed to be a bit of a mashup. The highlight item by far is the hot cocoa toy. I absolutely love the creativity and functionality of the toy. This month’s treats were a big miss for us since they don’t fall in line with what I will give to Bruce Wayne, however, I know that for many, the treats will be the highlight of the box. Please keep in mind that I am extremely picky about what I will let Bruce Wayne eat. Even though I thought the ski bunny was a little odd, Bruce Wayne is absolutely loving that toy. 🙂

B-DUBS VERDICT: Bruce Wayne gives the December BarkBox 2 out of 4 grinchy paws. (The toys are a hit with Bruce Wayne but his stingy Little Lady won’t let him have the treats.)

Deals/Coupon Codes: If you’d like to try a BarkBox subscription, use code BRUCE for free shipping ($5.00 to Canada) and a free $10 credit to the BarkShop. (BarkBox can be ordered from www.barkbox.com/brucewayne.) If there’s a particular toy or treat you’d like to order from www.barkshop.com, you can use code BRUCE on any order of $10 or more for a free chew added to your order. Happy shopping!

*The Fine Print* – BarkBox sends toys and treats based on your dog’s size at the time you sign up for a subscription or single box and even if you have the same size dog as me, you may have received different products (same theme though) than Bruce Wayne. Bruce Wayne is an affiliate for BarkBox and receives a free box, however, these are solely my honest opinions of this month’s box based on Bruce Wayne’s size and preference.

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